surveillance ship in the Vietnamese waters where China has illegally placed

its oil rig Haiyang Shiyou 981 since May 2, 2014

China has violated Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and
jurisdiction over its territorial waters by planting oil rig Haiyang
Shiyou 981 in the sea area since early this month, the NA denounced in
the statement.

The Office of the 13th NA, whose 7th session was opened on May 20 in
Hanoi, said that the oil rig is located in Vietnam’s exclusive economic
zone and continental shelf.

The statement reiterated that Beijing has not only seriously infringed
Vietnam’s sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over its
territorial waters, but has also broken international law, especially
the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and
the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Vietnam Sea to
which China is a signatory.

Such an act by China has also gone against the mutual agreement between
the high-ranking leaders of Vietnam and China, the statement pointed
out.

It has caused tension in the East Vietnam Sea and posed a threat to peace and security in the sea area, the statement added.
Therefore, the NA, the entire people, and soldiers nationwide, along
with the overseas Vietnamese communities strongly oppose to China’s
infringement and demand China remove its rig from the Vietnamese waters
immediately, the NA asserted.

The NA agrees to the Party’s and government’s policy to resolutely
protect the fatherland’s territorial sovereignty based on international
law, the legislative body said, adding that the policy is also aimed at
struggling for peace and stability for the Southeast Asian country’s
development and maintaining the traditional friendly relationship
between Vietnam and China.

As the tense situation in the East Vietnam Sea may go on with
complicated and unforeseeable developments, the NA calls on the
government and the people to show their solidarity and unanimity,
maintain political stability and keep social order and security, in
order to contribute to boosting social and economic development,
strengthening defense and security, and expand external relations of the
country.

In its statement, the NA also expresses its gratitude to individuals
and organizations, both at home and abroard, for their support to
Vietnam in the current situation.

China has stationed its drilling platform at a location of 15°29’58’’
North latitude and 111°12’06’’ East longitude in the East Vietnam Sea
since May 2.

The location lies well within the Southeast Asian country’s exclusive
economic zone and continental shelf, the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry
said.
China has also deployed a large number of vessels including warships to
guard the rig and many of these escort ships have rammed or fired their
water cannons at Vietnamese vessels when they were requested by the
Vietnamese side to leave the waters.

Such attacks have so far injured nine Vietnamese fisheries surveillance
officers and damaged several boats, the Vietnam Coast Guard reported.

As the Chinese rig and its escort ships remain in Vietnamese waters
despite strong opposition from Vietnam, Deputy PM Pham Binh Minh made a
phone call to Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi on May 15,
requesting that Chinese authorities respond to Vietnam’s demand that
Beijing withdraw its rig from the sea area.